The Shins -- "Red Rabbits"
Red Rabbits is one of those songs that almost no one knows but everyone has heard and can recognize. It's hard to dislike the soft reverberations and ethereal raindrops that make up the soundscape of this 2007 composition.
The meter is a gentle pulse of four beats per measure. Each quarter note gets the beat, bringing the meter to a fairly simple 4/4 time signiture.
It's pretty easy to distinguish this song's quadruple pulse-- after all, each phrase of the bubbly synthesizer melody is completed in four counts. This is further confirmed by trying to count the song in measures of three, which yielded no positive results for any triple time signature: the song is written in phrases of four beats.
The texture joins in conjunction with the meter as the primary vessel to convey the song's meaning to the listener. James Mercer, the singer of the Shins is well known for his cryptical and poetic lyrics, and the ones in this song live up to that reputation. In essence the song represents a contemplative sigh of a couple in a broken relationship. Alternating verses are spoken from the perspective of both the man and women, each indicating the thoughts being had about the past and future of their situation. This cognitive process is translated musically by ambient bubbly textures, providing the visualization of a slow hot spring or an ocean tide rising and falling in hypnotic rhythm. There is a sort of melancholy chill present, but that tone is held in check by the warm strum of an acoustic guitar, which adds a positive and almost optimistic feel to the composition.
Regardless of it negative meaning, Red Rabbits is one of the Shin's best song's, but a lot of the nice relaxed feeling that come along with it can be tied to the meaning of the song itself-- a contemplative reflection of melancholy thoughts, tied together with a 4/4 pulse to provide the song with a heartbeat.
E
Fantastic selection for a 4/4 composition analysis. In addition, you gave an awesome run down of this piece! Flippin' love it!
ReplyDeleteFrom the beginning, the leader singer almost serves as the omniscient narrator for both points of view. We're given the girl's side, addressing themselves of how the boy made her think differently yet how the boy also was sucking in every finite moment with her so he may use what she said against him. Then she cuts herself off with a metaphor about pissing on sprites standing up for their rights, similar to ignoring how a relationship starts as fantasy and you try to ignore that fantasy is starting to dwindle away. In the boy's response, he addresses themes of her using his water and her being born in a desert, similar to riches feeding the poor. At the end of his speech he asks who makes the call to paddle over the falls, suggesting a similarity to asking who is the one who makes a break up happen? This is where, combined with the texture and 4/4 slow tempo of the piece, the melancholy chill sets in: there's certainly a presence of a broken relationship.
As soon as the violin slurs from the C# to C natural at 3:03, it's as if the boy and girl express tears about what they said towards each other, although they both know they cannot take back their words. However, after the instrumental break, the metaphor of the couple pissing on sprities standing up for their rights suggests they're sticking to their original statements. The guitar and tambourine accompany the lead singer in resolution, which eventually ends in an white-noise mixed with audience-cheer fading in and out of the track.
Again, great song choice Ethan. Just added it to my Spotify "Starred" playlist!